How to Read Palms

July 21, 2017

Tip

By MALIA WOLLAN

‘‘When you look at someone’s hands, you can see their character in an instant,’’ says Mark Seltman, who has been a palm reader for 40 years, mostly at corporate events and parties in Manhattan. Ask the person to hold up both hands, with his or her palms near your eyes. Focus mostly on the dominant hand. Note shapes, proportions and color. Each person’s palmar creases are believed to be unique, like fingerprints.

The feel of a hand is important, too, but always ask before you touch so as not to come across as inappropriate or cause awkwardness. Before speaking, take a minute or so to observe the hands cupped in yours. It helps to have a magnifying glass and a small ruler. Don’t overlook anything in this tradition; even scars and manicures have meaning.

Reading palms is a practice dating back thousands of years to the Vedic period in India. To learn the art, read widely and discerningly. (‘‘Most of the palmistry literature sucks,’’ Seltman says.) Study the four types of hands: intuitive (long palm, short fingers); practical (square palm, short fingers); thinking (square palm, long fingers); and feeling (long palm, long fingers). Look for the three basic palm creases: the heart line, the head line and the life line. If you’re unsure, ask questions; when in doubt, talk about love and work. ‘‘People want to know about relationships and career more than anything else,’’ Seltman says.

You will be asked to, but a palmist should never attempt to diagnose an illness or predict someone’s death. When clients ask Seltman how long they have to live, he demurs by saying that the hands reveal a life’s quality, not quantity.

The moment people open their palms, they give a certain power to you. ‘‘People will think you know more than you do,’’ Seltman says. ‘‘They admit things that they wouldn’t tell their own psychiatrists.’’ Don’t let it go to your head. Convey whatever you see in their creases and bent fingers in a heartfelt, cautious and nonjudgmental way. Humans are psychologically vulnerable animals. ‘‘Leave them with hope,’’ Seltman says. ‘‘Say something that allows them to grow and stretch and be more satisfied and fulfilled.’’

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